Aromatic: Sun Dried Tomato and Purple Basil Pesto

A simple light meal today! The period from Thanksgiving right through to New Year’s is a killer. For the past few days I have been feeling extremely satiated. It’s all those parties and get-togethers that are the norm during this time of the year. We have so many events scheduled on our calendar this month and each one with promises of luscious food.

I dare not look at the weighing scale. I have tucked it away for now – as I am loosing the battle. It’s hard to resist when a colleague brings over a batch of freshly baked cookies, or when friends invite us for an aromatic Persian dinner or when various pre-Christmas parties are celebrated with colleagues and friends or even the walk through town with the Christmas market offering a huge variety of food. How can one not over-indulge?

I know I have put on an extra kilo – my jeans are telling me that and as if to revolt they have tightened around the waist to express their disapproval. So, I am cajoling those jeans today with a bowl of fresh fruit for lunch and for dinner - a small and light portion of pasta and my flavorful sun-dried tomato and purple basil pesto.

There will be plenty of over eating and indulging during the next couple of days. A little pause is good. As for the weighing scale: I have a date with it next year when I battle the extra kilo and then my jeans will love me again.

I love pesto in any form and flavor. Whenever I find bunches of basil, wild garlic, coriander, rucola, spinach or any other ingredient that I can work into a pesto it surely lands into my shopping basket. Sun-dried tomatoes make a great pesto variety too. I love the intense flavor sun-dried tomatoes give the pesto and depending on the other ingredients you use to complement your pesto, you are always rewarded with a creamy and healthy pesto. Sun-dried tomato pesto is also amazingly versatile. I use it as sandwich spreads, to stuff gnocchi, in soups, stews or in salad dressing. It adds a beautiful fruity zing to the dish.

At my organic store I found packages of sun-dried tomatoes and bunches of purple basil. Everything I required to compose a delicious pesto.

Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and fill enough water to cover the tomatoes. Allow to reconstitute until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain.

In a food processor, pulse together sun-dried tomatoes, Romano cheese, basil, thyme, pine nuts and garlic, until well chopped. Leave the food processor running and gradually drizzle the olive oil. Process until a smooth paste forms. Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Stored in jars the sun-dried tomato pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Tip: You can substitute the pine nuts with walnuts, cashew nuts or macademia nuts. You can use a variety of basil, like Thai basil or lemon basil or simple substitute the basil with wild garlic or rucola for a completely different aroma.

Verdict

I normally double this recipe. When I make this sun-tomato pesto I know that it will be used up in no time. Although I love a simple pasta dish with the pesto, it really adds a fantastic flavor to stews or chili too. Soeren's sandwiches for school are spread with the pesto too, adding a slice of goat cheese and baby spinach leaves, his gourmet sandwich is complete. Tom personally loves this as a dip - carrots, kohlrabi and other vegetables are enjoyed raw with the sun dried pesto as the perfect partner.

I am so looking forward to this month's Hay Hay it’s Donna Day! One of my favorite blogger friends, Joey of 80 Breakfasts is the amiable host and her chosen theme Pesto got me really excited. This is my humble contribution to Joey's event.

27 comments:

That looks wonderful--not too heavy at this time of year! I don't think I've ever tried purple basil (at least, never seen it in leaf form) so would love to give it a try. Your photos are just stunning, of course! (And thanks for the link--much appreciated!) :)

wow you surely are a fan of pesto :) I have only made the normal basil pesto which I really love. But this looks interesting too and I have homemde sun dried tomatoes so I ll give it a go :)your photos are so nice :)

Ever since I started making slow-roasted tomatoes and stashing them in my freezer every summer, I've been making pestos like this one in the winter for a burst of summery flavor. Love the use of purple basil here!

oh .. I agree so much with you on the festive weight gain .. My hubby lets me keep just one weigh scale that doesnot show weight more that 18 kgs ! ... he says its the perfect way to eat without worry ...hehehe

Meeta, I loved your contribution.Fabulous ingredients. I will be experimenting it. I have just started my holiday and one of the things that i really want to do is to cook more again.and bake. this pesto is on my list.

Humble . . . I say this is stellar Meeta.Sadly my purple basil is gone for the winter but while it flourished it was heaven. Pesto has got to be one of the most useful things to have in the kitchen, I simply love it as you do.

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Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...